ACROSS nearly two decades and seven albums, Britt Daniel has shouldered the songwriting and singing load for acclaimed outfit Spoon, the Austin, Texas, band whose popularity has surged on each successive album - their latest, 2010's Transference, went to No.4 on the US charts.

Lately, though, Daniel has found new collaborators - established musicians who can write songs, play an array of instruments and sing lead vocals. He even finds joy in backing other songwriters on their songs.

Last year he formed Divine Fits with former Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade frontman Dan Boeckner, New Bomb Turks/RJD2 drummer Sam Brown and keyboardist Alex Fischel. Across their brilliant album A Thing Called Divine Fits, the songwriting was split between Boeckner and Daniel, and lead vocals were shared.

Clearly, this new spread of labour has been liberating. "I've loved that," Daniel says. "I wouldn't like it if I was in a band with someone I didn't believe in, but because I believe in him [Boeckner] so much, it's easy to back him up. I like backing up people I believe in.''

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Daniel met Boeckner five years ago after attending a Handsome Furs show. The two became good friends and Boeckner guested on-stage with Spoon in New York in 2010. When Boeckner told Daniel last year Wolf Parade had split up, Daniel immediately suggested they form a band.

"The first song I heard of his [Dumb Animals] was off the first Handsome Furs record and it was just so dark - intensely dark - and it didn't let up," he recalls. "It reminded me of an early Cure record. I liked that somebody was doing that - getting a mood and just sticking with it - even if that mood was dark and f---ed up. Basically I loved watching him on-stage, I loved his voice and I loved his song.''

Daniel had moved from Austin to Los Angeles in August 2011, and Boeckner joined him at the beginning of last year to begin writing and recording an album with British producer Nick Launay (Models, INXS, Midnight Oil, Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs). After moving into Daniel's apartment, Daniel saw Boeckner's marriage to Handsome Furs bandmate Alexei Perry falling apart.

"It was rough seeing that happen," Daniel says. "It was an intense period for both of us because we were working so hard and this [the divorce] is happening. It was a shock for me. We would say to him: 'If you want to stay home today or tomorrow, don't worry about it, because this has got to be upsetting'. But he would just say: 'If I do that, I'll just be at home being miserable.'.''

A Thing Called Divine Fits presents 1980s-ish new-wave, soulful pop and sharp synth-pop bumping up against muscular guitar stomps and stripped-down vintage rock. They even covered the Boys Next Door song Shivers, a classic in Australia but virtually unknown stateside.

Daniel has recorded an album with another new band, Spl:t S:ngle (headlined by Verbow frontman Jason Narducy) and there are plans to record another Divine Fits album. He has told his Spoon bandmates they should start writing songs. "The guys have sent me a hard drive of songs they've written, so I'm looking forward to hearing it,'' he chuckles.

Divine Fits play the Laneway Festival on February 3, and the Corner, Richmond, on February 4.